There are many known types of welding systems used for many different welding processes. Welding system, or system for welding, as used herein, includes one or more of a power source, controller, wire feeder, and a source of gas, it may also include peripherals such as robots etc. Welding power supply, as used herein, includes any device capable of supplying welding power including power circuitry, control circuitry and other ancillary circuitry associated therewith.
Some welding power supplies are dedicated for a single welding process, such as MIG welding, and other welding systems can be used for a variety of processes. The Miller Axcess® welding system is a multi-process machine that can be controlled to provide a number of welding processes such as pulse, controlled short circuit welding, MIG, spray and hybrid processes.
The power circuit and controller of the Axcess® are sufficiently flexible that they can provide power and control for the various processes as good as or better than a system designed for a single process. Moreover, software and hardware allow the user to select a welding program (that can include fixed parameters or user setable parameters). Welding program, as used herein, includes a software routine and/or hardware that causes a welding system or power supply to provide an output suitable for a welding process.
Some customers need a multi-process system such as an Axcess®, while others need a single process system. Accordingly, to address the ends of various market segments, a single system can be sold with different software, interfaces, and/or controls. For example one customer can purchase a system for pulse and spray, while another can purchase the same system, but with additional software to use that system for controlled short circuit welding.
Because advanced systems such as the Axcess® are relatively new, many customers do not fully appreciate the capabilities of some processes, and/or the desirability of a multi-process machine. Thus, a practice developed to allow the user to test or qualify a particular process. For example, a sales person would include a welding program for RMD® (a hybrid controlled short circuit process) when the customer purchased a system. Then, after allowing the customer to try the program for some time (perhaps days or weeks), the customer decided if they wanted to purchase that option. If not, the seals person (or technician) would have to return to the customer's work site, and disable the option (by removing the software, e.g.). Of course, requiring a return visit to disable the feature adds cost, does not provide a definite term for the trial, and generally is inconvenient.
Accordingly, a way to allow the user to test a feature on a welding system that does not require action to disable it is required. Preferably, such a system will provide a definite term for the user to test the option.